Sunday, July 04, 2004
Thursday night, Fritz and I went to see some of A.'s work that was hanging in a group show at the big museum in Manchester, NH. A., a close friend of Fritz's for a couple of decades and of mine since I came into Fritz's life, was very moved that we had come. He's a dear man, a well-known ceramicist who has been widely exhibited, with works commissioned by major public buildings throughout the region. He lives incredibly simply without electricity and with ecologically-friendly plumbing on a huge piece of property he owns in conservation agreement with the state. He believes passionately in the need to preserve some open land in a state of nature before it is too late, and spends much of what he makes enlarging it when adjacent parcels become available. He gardens extensively and is known as a superb teacher.
Inclusion in the group show (and having been asked to recommend the other artists whose work would be exhibited with his) was A.'s triumphal return to the museum that had quietly dismissed him from giving classes many years ago. He had been called into the director's office and told he had to go because his lifestyle wasn't compatible with the museum's outlook. "Why," he asked astonishedly, "because I don't have electricity and a flush toilet?" No, he was told, because he was homosexual. There had been complaints from students about having to study with a homosexual teacher. No charges or hints of improper behavior of any kind, just the homosexuality itself.
The current administration of the museum had no idea of this history until A. mentioned it in the process of arranging the exhibit, and they were apparently deeply shocked. At last Thursday's opening reception, the welcoming message from the director made special mention of how grateful the museum was to have A. associated with it and how having his work on exhibit honored the museum and the other artists he had hand-picked to exhibit with him. He listened, very proud, with tears in his eyes.
Inclusion in the group show (and having been asked to recommend the other artists whose work would be exhibited with his) was A.'s triumphal return to the museum that had quietly dismissed him from giving classes many years ago. He had been called into the director's office and told he had to go because his lifestyle wasn't compatible with the museum's outlook. "Why," he asked astonishedly, "because I don't have electricity and a flush toilet?" No, he was told, because he was homosexual. There had been complaints from students about having to study with a homosexual teacher. No charges or hints of improper behavior of any kind, just the homosexuality itself.
The current administration of the museum had no idea of this history until A. mentioned it in the process of arranging the exhibit, and they were apparently deeply shocked. At last Thursday's opening reception, the welcoming message from the director made special mention of how grateful the museum was to have A. associated with it and how having his work on exhibit honored the museum and the other artists he had hand-picked to exhibit with him. He listened, very proud, with tears in his eyes.
